Liv fixed her eyes on the staircase and pretended not to hear him. When she reached the top step, she halted when she spied a gaggle of people hanging around on Essie’s floor. They clutched Georgia Rory books and seemed to be waiting for the author. “I think Essie Starling went that way,” she pointed back down the stairs.

A man let out an excited yelp, and Liv waited for them all to disappear before she returned to the suite.

Outside, the scene now resembled a shrine. There were photos and notes pinned to the wall, a bottle of champagne and another basket of fruit. Messages exclaimed admiration, undying love and get well soon wishes for Essie. Liv bristled at how people knew. She scooped up the goodies and took three turns to heave them all into the room.

It was a little after eleven and Liv knew her adrenaline wouldn’t allow her to sleep for some time. She listened to an audiobook of The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler and ran the jacuzzi. Before slipping into the water, she blinked at herself in the bathroom mirror, not really recognizing the person who stared back at her. It was someone she wanted to get to know better, someone who’d lost her direction in life and was now emerging from the shadows. But was it as Liv, or as Georgia Rory?

19

TATTOOED HAND

On her last morning in Croatia, Liv woke at 5:30 a.m., too early to phone home. The last couple of days had taken their toll, and her head lolled with tiredness as she packed her belongings into her suitcase.

After showering, she slathered on sun cream and dressed in a floral dress and comfy sandals, adding the striped tie loosely around her neck. It was a beautiful day, and she wanted to wander the streets of Dubrovnik before she tried to speak to Sven, after his meeting.

Holidays for Liv usually meant six weeks of planning for one week in the sun. It was a thankless task buying sun lotion that didn’t irritate Jake’s skin and shorts with zips so the boys’ mobile phones didn’t fall out. It was freeing not having to lug anyone else’s sunglasses or reading material around. She left the two manuscripts behind on the bed and took the empty tote bag.

She bade “Dobro jutro” to a lady on the reception desk and wandered outside into the sunshine. The morning was already hot, and Liv bought bread from a baker’s shop for breakfast, tearing off pieces to eat while she waited at the bus stop.

During the twenty-minute journey into the city, she listened to Euro disco playing on the bus radio and realized she’d left her mobile phone back at the hotel.

After a few moments of panic, she knew it was too late to go back. She gazed out of the window and decided to embrace the rare freedom of being uncontactable.